MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY (MIL) Due to the influx of information that people every

(1ST Semester –G12 S.Y. 2023-2024) day, many people no longer have the time and opportunity
By end of this semester: It is hoped everyone will be the agent of change in the
to fact-check every information that they consume.
current Filipino media and information landscape.
Because of this, these people are often deceived by
Chapter 1: Introduction of Media and Information untruths, which can affect both the subject of the
Literacy information and the consumer himself/herself.

Below is a story adapted from a popular Jewish

Lesson 8: The Power of Media and Information
folktale which describes perfectly the power of words. Read
As discuss in the previous lessons, media have
the story and answer the questions that follow.
affected, if not controlled, everybody from the time they
wake up till they go to sleep. People are no longer mere Feathers
consumers of media and other information sources, but are (adapted from a Jewish folktale)
now producers as well. People are now both sources and There was once a woman who loved talking too much.
the channels of information. Whenever she heard a story about someone she knew, or even
someone she personally did not know, she always felt a great urge
Are you aware of how much power you have to tell it to her friends.
because of your capacity to use media and information? The woman loved the attention she gets every time she
shared a story. Her friends’ laughs always propelled her to seek for
You can upload photos and videos, create your own another story to tell. To make the stories more enjoyable, the
woman embellished them with small and untrue details – untrue,
article or blog, and share your views and opinions online.
but small.
Share these publicly and you will able to reach millions of
One day, the woman saw a local police officer resting under
people in the world. These are contents that are being
a tree. It is already past lunch, so why is this officer not doing his
consumed by other people, who are also capable to do the job? The woman thought. It was a juicy rumor. So, the woman
same. immediately imparted it, pipingly hot and fresh, to her friends. She
even added little details about how deep the officer’s sleep was and
However, this power comes with challenges. As a how loud his snore was.
consumer of information, you must understand which of The woman’s friends, appalled by the rumor, then shared
the information you get are true and correct. As a them to their colleagues, who shared them to their friends, who told
producer, you must make sure that the information you to their neighbors. The story got around town, until it reached the
disseminate is valid and accurate. police officer who was the main character of the story. The officer,
How well do you utilize your power of media who had just survived a heart attack a few days ago, was
and information? devastated upon hearing the rumor about him. All his life, he had
served for the townspeople, and that was what a minute of rest
after a bad attack had brought him.

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 The town’s wise man had heard of the rumor and how police
officer reacted to it. Knowing the woman’s penchant for storytelling, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
the wise man summoned her to the top of the bell tower. If she
was not the one who did it, maybe she knew who did. You must have heard of this quotation from the
When the woman was told of the reasons why the police comic Spiderman a number of times. Given your youth and
officer was resting that afternoon and how devastated he became current social status, you must be thinking that this
upon hearing the rumor, the woman felt truly sorry. She admitted quotation does not apply to you just yet. After all, you are
the fault, and apologized to the wise man and to the police officer. still a student. Your power revolves around your home and
The kind officer, although still hurt, forgave the woman.
your school.
But does it?
“I feel terrible. What can I do to make it undone?” the
When you text messages, post status on Facebook,
woman asked the wise man apologetically.
tweet on Twitter, and upload photos on Instagram, your
The wise man smiled. “Bring me a feather pillow.”
power crawls out from being a student to being a producer
Although puzzled, the woman went home to get the best
of information. If you have posted a picture of a broken
feather pillow in her house. She then returned to the bell tower to street light, several messages can be elicited from it. It
hand the pillow to the wise man. could mirror a lapse in government expenditures, or a
“Cut the pillow open,” the wise man instructed. “Then, criminal act of locals in the area, or more. Everything that
scatter the feathers out the window.” you share with a person, a group, or a network affects
The woman, still mystified by the wise man’s words, another person(s) or entity(ies).
followed his orders. The woman watched as the feathers were How powerful are you then? How much power
carried away by the wind. do media and information have in the society?
“Have I already undone my mistake?” the woman asked.
“You did well,” the wise man said. “But there is still one In Education:
thing you have to do. Take your basket and gather up all the
feathers that have scattered out the window.” Since the ancient times, media have been used by
“But that is impossible!” the woman retorted. “The wind has
people to educate and be educated. In Lesson 2, it was
discussed that early humans used stone drawings to impart
carried them away!”
their knowledge to the next generations. Media evolved,
“So are your words,” the wise man replied. “The man
and the stones turned to paper, to radio, to television, and
whom you have sinned may have forgiven you, but your
to the internet.
words are already out there, spreading hate and ridicule.
Printed media, such as books and journals, play key
Your apology can never undo the damage that you have
roles in the educational formation of society. Students are
done.” provided with textbooks which mediate experts in
QUESTIONS:
imparting their knowledge of different fields. Academicians
1. If you were in the woman’s position and you saw a police officer resting
write on journals to inform other scholars of their latest
comfortably during work hours, what would you do?
discoveries in specific areas.
2. Relate one instance in the mass media industry when a story similar to
this happened.
However, as technology evolves, education does too.
3. As a consumer of information, what have you learned from the story?
4. As a producer of information, what have you learned from the story?

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 Decades ago, when students were asked to do a “Sources of entertainment are also clicks away, so why
minor research, they had to do go to the library or conduct waste time in devoting them with education information?”
interviews to do it. If information was not available in They had become hyperactive and can now use multiple
nearby areas, they had to travel to far-off places to gather screens in consuming media (Rappler, 2015), and had
information and learn about their topic of research. made them impatient in using several media only to
Teachers, as information providers, were often triangulate an information.
unchallenged because only a few students could study
ahead of the class schedule. Generally, in the previous In Economy:
decades, knowledge was limited only to those who seek fir
Do you know someone in the country who works as
it.
a call center agent or contact service center agent? a
However, because of the rise of the broadcast and
foreign software programmer? an online Japanese/Korean
new media, various information are now available in just a
translator? What do you know about their jobs?
tap or click away. Both students and teachers can now do
The power of media and information can also affect
research in the comforts of their own homes. Sometimes,
a state’s economy. Think of the current status of the labor
students can even contest their teachers’ opinions with
industry for example. Many Filipino occupations require the
information that they have gathered on the television or
use of media and information.
the internet, inciting meaningful and productive class
The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry –
discussions. Many schools around the world, including
businesses owned by foreign conglomerates - revolves on
Philippines, even utilize new media to create online
media and information. Call centers (e.g. Convergys,
classrooms. With this, Filipinos who are not able to attend
Telstra, Accenture, etc.) and foreign information
classrooms physically because of work or other reasons
technology companies (e.g. IBM, Google, Facebook, etc.)
can still pursue their studies. Because of the easy access to
are some of the foreign businesses which branded out from
information, media have forever changed the education
their root offices in their home countries to the Philippines,
landscape.
outsourcing Filipinos to cater to their clients abroad via
But every progress has a corresponding new media. Basically, without new media, the BPO industry
consequence. cannot survive.
As a matter of fact, US-based globalization firm
Because of the ease of access and the availability of Tholons, Inc. placed Manila as the second largest
many information in one medium, people often neglect the outsourcing destination in the world. (Vidaurri, 2016).
fact that they can explore and do research themselves too, According to a Rappler article by Nikki Natividad (2015),
rather than always depending on the information provided approximately 900 thousand Filipino workers were
by that medium. This media dependency also yields a employed in BPO companies in 2013. During that year, the
greater number of students who are inactive in examining BPO industry generated USD 15.5 million to the Philippine
media information. They tend to trust an information they income. In 2016, it is projected to generate 1.3 million
get from media, without conducting triangulation. jobs and USD 27 million annual revenue. Aside from the
Perhaps another reason why students become more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the BPO employees
lenient in doing research is the fact that there are more contribute a great number to the country’s economy.
than just education in media. Students must be thinking, Losing this industry that is powered by media and

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information can caused a staggering downfall to the The US as a whole ranks 31st out of 189 countries globally
current state of Philippine economy. and has an average download speed of 21.05 Mbps.
However, in terms of mobile broadband we rank 18th, with
Generally, media and information are significant a download speed of 11.68 Mbps.
parts of the economy. In 1962, a UNESCO survey found
out that over 70% of the world lacked access to Globally speaking, some really surprising developments
information. In response to this, the UN advised all of its like Romania ranking 3rd in the world with speeds of 57.12
member countries to include a media development Mbps, second only to Hong Kong (72.5 Mbps) and
strategy in their economic plans. Singapore (60.6 Mbps). Followed by South Korea in 4th
with (50.5 Mbps and Japan with 41.1 Mbps in 5th. The only
According to the Media Development Investment
real surprise here is Romania, but they clearly are
Fund, economic actors, such as government and private
investing in their future with an internet economy, much
businesses, need accurate, valid, and new information as
like Lithuania which currently sits in 6th, above Sweden
bases of allocation of resources. Moreover, if mass media
with an average download of 40.4 Mbps, something that
are free to monitor and deliver economic information in a
puts most larger countries to shame.
certain country, the government can supervise the issues
the country is facing, which may lead to the formation of
There are also some really disappointing results in the
better economic policies (Aymo and Weder, 2003). Political
bottom of the world’s list, namely Burkina Faso, which
risks and good governance will be implemented, which
came in 188th (dead last) place. And Afghanistan which
may attract more investors to settle their businesses in the
comes iNonetheless, the Philippines economy is still
country. With this, economic development is sure to follow.
struggling. Compared to other Southeat Asian nations, the
The administrations of Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph E. Philippines has the slowest internet speed, with only 3.54
Estrada, Gloria M. Arroyo, and Benigno C. Aquino, III mbps (Ookla, 2014).
utilized media and information in drawing a greater
economic development. All four leaders encouraged foreign
investors to utilize the power of new media in creating the
foundation of their businesses in the Philippines. Soon
after, BPO companies started sprawling in many parts of
the country, including Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao.
After the Arroyo and Aquino administrations, BPO
companies reached Pampanga, Benguet, Cavite, Negros
provinces, Iloilo, and more. More jobs were created and
the national poverty rate has slowly been reduced.

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In Politics: engagement and participatory governance. They mirror the
causes and effects of effects of different government
On June 30, 2016, all mass media in the country advocacies across the country, such as the Anti-Littering
covered the first SONA of President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Code of Marikina, Ordinance 060-062 (Firecraker Ban) of
Compared to the SONA of the past leaders, the television Davao City, Department of Tourism’s It’s More Fun in the
viewership of this SONA was less, however the Philippines campaign, and others. The information
commentaries and streaming on online social media were proliferated by media proved to Filipinos that with their full
whopping. Filipinos, especially the “millennials” or the cooperation, development is attainable.
younger generation, exchanged comments and participated
discussions over the internet, making the said SONA more Fourth Estate - generally refers to news media that serve as an
interactive than the previous ones. important force in a government. I t was coined by Thomas Carlyle
of Great Britain in 1841, where the parliamentary government was
Because the Philippines is a democratic country, influenced by Three Estates. Carlyle referred to the press of the
Filipinos have the right to participate in governance. that time as the Fourth Estate, the “irrepressible” and
People’s involvement connotes the transfer of power and “incalculable” of all Estates.
influence to communities (Pante, 2014). And with the
proliferation of new media, this right has been observed
more easily in the country. After President Duterte’s first In Society:
SONA, Filipinos exchanged their different views regarding
the administration’s plans for the country, most especially In 2014, global study Wave7 named the Philippines
its declaration of “war” against illegal drugs. Filipinos are as the social media capital of the world.
not only engaged, but also participative in political issues.
According to the research, approximately 40 million
Government agencies now also disseminate Filipinos use social media platforms 53 hours a week.
information through new media. Information and Participants in the research say that they use social media
Communication Technology (ICT) was utilized to help to keep company, share new experiences to friends and
connect the citizens with the government better. When the followers, have fun, meet new people, and stay in touch
e-Commerce Act was passed in 2000, government with friends and family. These reflect that the Filipinos’
agencies have made most of the services available online behavior in social media are rooted from inherent human
for easy access of the citizens. Through ICT, government truths, such as: relationship (sharing experiences and
information and services became faster and more emotions), diversion (entertainment and relaxation),
accessible for all. progression (career and financial status), recognition
(expressing opinions and earning respect), and learning
Also because of democracy, media groups serve as (exploring the world and keeping up-to-date).
the “fourth estate” or watchdogs of the government. They
are free to expose issues of corruption, investigate on Almost every institution in the Philippine society is
social problems, and cover news stories that are nationally affected by media. Families communicate and bond with
relevant. These information they deliver are essential for their members through media. Schools utilize ICTs to aid in
people to make rational decisions and become effective teaching. Some religions propagate their learnings through
agents of change. Mass media encourage citizen social media. And, as mentioned in the previous segments,
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the government also employs media to proliferate judgment of the audience. From an individual perspective,
information, aid in their services, and engage citizen positive effects refer to the achievement of one’s personal
engagement and participatory governance. goals- this, despite a number of adverse effects.

Media, specifically broadcast and new media, also According to Potter, there are different types of
opened doors for people in different societies to participate media effects. These types refer to how the individual
in what McLuhan called the “global village.” Filipinos can experiences the media effects that can be either intentional
now easily communicate with foreign individuals and or unintentional. Potter mentioned six types: cognitive,
groups in just a click or a tap. New media transformed the belief, attitudinal, emotional, physiological, and behavioral.
world into one big society, where diverse cultures are 1. Cognitive – the most pervasive; says that media
woven into a multicolored flag of unity. can effect what people know by planting ideas and
information into their minds (e.g. knowledge, skills, etc.).
However, these benefits that media and information 2. Belief – related to the values and principles
bring to people also result in a number of challenges. As people have in their lives due to the influence brought
societies become digitally smaller because of the about by media (e.g. philosophies, spiritual beliefs, etc.).
development of the global village, Filipinos slowly lose their 3. Attitudinal – evaluative judgments about the
cultural identities. Many Filipinos tend to assimilate foreign standards and values set by media (e.g. ethics, cultural
cultures more, often disregarding their own. A Croteau and values, etc.).
Hoynes (2003) said, if even arts and television become 4. Emotional – refers to media’s capacity to trigger
globally mass-produced and homogenized, “the world as a or affect an audience’s emotion(s) (e.g. feeling sad after
whole loses.” watching the death of a movie protagonist.).
5. Physiological – reaction of bodily systems to
In his book Media Effects (2008), W. James Potter media message(s) (e.g. high blood and heart rate when
discussed the dimensions of media effects that provide an watching a horror film.).
expanded view on how media effect audiences. He noted 6. Behavioral – says that media can trigger an
that these effects can be viewed in an individual or in audience to do certain actions (e.g. buying a product after
macro perspectives. seeing its advertisement on Facebook.).
According to Potter, media effects can either be
immediate or long-term. An immediate effect occurs during Sources:
one’s exposure to a media message, and the evidence of Media and Information Literacy for the 21st Century pages 73 - 82
that effect is observable during the exposure, or https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/
immediately after. On the other hand, long-term effects https://vrworld.com/2014/02/11/ooklas-global-net-index-ranks-real-
show up only after many exposures. A repeated pattern is
internet-speeds-globally/
necessary to establish the effect. For example, watching
daily news on crimes that happened in a particular place
may cause you to believe that the place is unsafe.

Potter also explained that media effects can bring

positive and/or negative effects, depending on the
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